Microbiological evaluation of chicken kadinbudu meatball production stages in a poultry meat processing plant

This study was conducted to investigate the microbiological changes occuring during the processing stages of chicken kadinbudu meatballs produced in a private poultry meat processing plant, Bursa/Turkey. One hundred and seventy samples collected from the production stages: and non-meat ingredients were examined for total aerobic mesophilic bacteria (TAMB), coli form bacteria, Escherichia con (E. coli), Enterobacteriaceae, enterococci, staphylococci-micrococci, coagulase positive staphylococci, yeast and molds. In chicken ground meat, the TAMB, Enterobacteriaceae, enterococci, staphylococci-micrococci, yeast and mold counts were 3.75, 2.38, 2.92, 2.77, 2.59 ve 3.23 log cfu/g, respectively. There was a significant increase in TAMB counts in samples of predusted, battered and breaded patties (p<0.05). Of the non-meat ingredients, only flour had a significant effect on the TAMB increase in predusted patty samples (R-2 = 0.55, Beta = 0.74). There was approximately one log reduction in all sample counts after frying, with statistically significant reductions only in TAMB and Enterobacteriaceae counts (p<0.05). Samples after cooling and packaging had microbial counts under detection levels, indicating good personel hygiene, and cleaning and disinfection applications leading to zero post contamination to the product after the cooking stage. E. coli or coagulase positive staphylococci was not detected in any of the samples either from the production stages or the non-meat ingredients. The results indicate that neither the ground chicken meat nor the non-meat ingredients caused initial and secondary and/or cross-contaminations for the final chicken kadinbudu meatballs. Furthermore, the heat application with two stages was sufficient for the production of a non-hazardous product, and there were no post-contaminations after cooking.